Brain and spinal AVM treatment by catheter

An AVM (arteriovenous malformation) is a tangle of abnormal vessels where arteries connect straight to veins, skipping the normal fine vessels in between. People are born with it. It may be found after a bleed or a seizure, or by chance on a scan, and it can also occur in the spine. Not every AVM needs treatment: a team decides, using the AVM's size, position, drainage and bleeding history, and your general health. The options are observation, embolisation, surgery, radiosurgery (focused radiation), or a combination. A large study of AVMs that had not bled found that, over the first few years, people who had treatment for simple AVMs did worse than those who were watched, which is why treatment is chosen carefully for each person, depending on the AVM's architecture, bleeding history and risk. In embolisation, a catheter is guided through the vessels into the AVM and an embolic liquid is injected to block the abnormal vessels. It is often done in one or several sessions, depending on the size and complexity of the AVM, and is sometimes used on its own and sometimes to prepare the AVM for surgery or radiosurgery. Risks include bleeding, stroke, new weakness or vision or speech problems, and in rare cases death; the team will explain the risk for your AVM, and you will need follow-up scans. Get urgent help for a sudden severe headache, a seizure or sudden weakness.